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A lot or a little?

The parents' guide to what's in this app.

Educational Value

Can learn visual storytelling skills (stories can work without words) and a very basic principle of using technology.

Ease of Play

Very easy to play. Watch for visual cues, then tap or swipe.

Violence & Scariness

In the free story, when the fox plays his radio too loudly, it explodes and it appears that the fox becomes burned.

Sexy Stuff

Language

Consumerism

"More Apps" icon on the app's home screen. Open the app for the first time, and the screen lands on one of the for-purchase stories. Actual purpose blocked by simple math problem.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Pango Storytime is an interactive storybook app that gets kids involved by swiping and tapping on-screen prompts to move the story forward. There's only one free story, which is about Pango conquering bedtime fears. Kids watch for clues for what to tap or swipe on the screen. When they do so, a new character or action appears that progresses the story. Other stories can be played for $1.99/ea. or $4.99/all, and the locked stories are visible to kids. If a kid taps on a locked story, a simple math problem blocks purchase. Read the app's privacy policy to find out about the types of information collected and shared.

What's it about?

Tap the Play icon to enter PANGO STORYTIME. View the one free story "Pango Good Night" by swiping left and tapping it. Tap or swipe each shaking object -- for example, a bush, a slingshot, a window -- on the screen to progress through the story. Swipe objects into puzzle-piece places to complete a mini-puzzle. When you've completed the scene, stars will appear. The free story, "Pango Good Night" is about Pango preparing for night time, going to bed, becoming scared of things in the dark, and conquering those fears. Return to the main screen, swipe right to view the other stories, which require in-app purchase ($1.99/ea. or $4.99/all) to play.

Is it any good?

This is a charmingly cute, easy to use interactive storybook app for preschoolers, though the very visible purchases can cause trouble. Pango Storytime makes every interactive element very clear, which eliminates the aimless tapping that often gets preschoolers frustrated. The free story about Pango's battle with bedtime fears may be helpful for kids who struggle with the same issue. One downside: Kids as young as three will likely enjoy this app, but what they won't enjoy is viewing all of the locked stories alongside the free one. Pairing those stories in this way may be good for business, but not great for peace between preschoolers and their parents. Better to place the in-app purchases elsewhere and let parents decide whether to introduce that option to their kid after trying the free story.

Talk to your kids about ...

Families can talk about Pango Storytime's interactive elements as conversation starters. Ask your kid: What happened when you tapped on the door? It opened! What happened when you tapped the radio? It's louder!

Watch the free story with your kid and talk about how Pango makes bedtime less scary. What can we do to make bedtime peaceful?

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